Welcome back to the Heartless read-along! I certainly have been enjoying celebrating the Christmas season with all of you in this fun way. Feels like a party on my computer every morning!
Be sure to check later today to see if you won a copy of Veiled Rose, Moonblood, or Starflower. Everyone who left a comment for each day's post will be entered in the drawing! And if you didn't win this week . . . no worries. You can always try again next week.
And now, back to the story . . .
CHAPTER EIGHT
Sir Eanrin: When Felix hurries down to the practice yard, hoping to find Prince Aethelbald, he discovers the Prince of Farthestshore talking to a knight Felix has not previously seen.
A knight who is blind in both eyes.
Hold on there! you say. Blind like . . . like Monster?
Exactly! And now, for the first time, we see the shape-shifting cat in his other form, as the tall, slender, golden haired Sir Eanrin, poet, warrior, and romantic expert (at least, according to himself). Also my favorite character of the series!
Notice the above picture, a fan-art depiction of Gervais gambling with the mysterious blind Eanrin . . . courtesy of the ever-talented Hannah Williams!
Felix's Duel: All right, who doesn't love to see Felix using what he learned from Prince Aethelbald to put that stuck-up Gervais in his place? And here Gervais showers him with compliments first, intending only to make a fool of him. Honestly, I'd forgotten just how thoroughly unlikable Gervais was! I was cheering for Felix in this scene. Glad he learned from Prince Aethelbald and remembered to apply his new skills.
Tidbit: When Felix mutters, "If she marries that goblin's son, why I'll . . ." he's actually using some pretty bad language for this world. In a later book (much later--not finished yet!), we'll learn that to be called a "goblin son" is one of the worst insults there is in Parumvir. And it's an important story-element in that later book, though I can't say why! I just find it interesting seeing little clues dropped like this. Later on, you'll be able to re-read Heartless and go, "Oh, yeah! So that's why that is important!"
Una's Thoughts: So I think it's pretty safe to say that Una is, despite herself, softening a bit toward Prince Aethelbald. Oh, I know she's pretending to herself otherwise! And maybe I'm wrong . . . But don't you think her continued concern over what Aethelbald thinks might mean she's not as indifferent to him as she might be? Maybe Una has better taste than even she realizes.
The family dinner: I think this is one of the few scenes in the novel that hardly changed at all from the first draft to the final. It's funny to read it now, all these years later! I remember sitting in my living room with a spiral notebook in my lap, writing this out by hand. I'm sure it was tweaked along the way, but otherwise, it's pretty familiar! (Though, I believe in the original draft, I gave Una two brothers, who were later condensed into Felix.)
Gervais' banishment: And it's in this scene that we learn exactly why Gervais came to "pay his respects" to Una. The fortune-hunter! Banished from his own father's court for gambling debts, Gervais needs to marry well and marry soon. Our little Una looked like an excellent prospect.
So much for romance. Una's dreams really aren't coming true quite how she wanted, are they?
Did she want to marry him? Finally, Una stops long enough to think the one question we've all been wondering ourselves! She's been so caught up in romantic fancies, she never once stopped to think whether or not this "dream come true" was really all that desirable.
Una's stutter: Once more, in the scene with Aethelbald, Una demonstrates her inability to form a complete sentence when angry. Again, something she inherited directly from her creator, me! I am a terrible fumble-mouth, particularly when I am feeling most urgent. Why is eloquence never there upon command? But it makes for a comic moment for my poor heroine . . . even if readers have to do a double-take and read it again to understand what's happening!
My personal favorite lines:
Monster hopped into her lap and started chewing on her thread. Una watched him do it without seeing until he had unraveled half an armored bean man. Coming to herself suddenly, Una growled, "Monster, you beast!" She tossed the cat over the arm of the chair, then set to embroidered with more will than ever. (p. 94)
Her thread tangled again, and she pulled it so tight that the poor embroidered man's face twisted grotesquely. (p. 94)
Felix, who was sipping coffee, snorted and burnt his tongue, cpped a hand around his mouth, and bawled for water. During his uproar King Fidel could not speak and Una was left to wonder. (p. 96)
Una wanted desperately to spit out elegant barbs, but all that came out was an emphatic, "Don't wan you mister noble go away not your business!" (p. 98)
Una passed her evening imagining all the brilliant things she should have said to Aethelbald but didn't, but jolly well would next chance she got, so help her! They were most of them verbose, all of them witty, and each would have fallen flat if stuttered, but she didn't consider that. She penned them in her journal and practiced them in her mind until they rolled perfectly off her imaginary tongue and Prince Aethelbald, cowed, crawled into his place. (p. 99)
Questions on the Text:
1. What more of Una's character does this chapter reveal? Do you think she's on a road toward growth or not?
2. Do you think Prince Aethelbald did the right thing in this situation, speaking to Prince Gervais about his gambling? Or should he have minded his own business?
3. Felix is used in this chapter (and the other fencing scene) to give us a new perspective on Aethelbald. What do we learn about Aethelbald from Felix's perspective that we miss from Una's? Do you find Aethelbald more or less likable as seen through Felix's eyes?
4. Any favorite lines?
Reader Questions
1. "Your world is so multi-layered and intricate. What is a trick you use to keep all your characters straight? Do you outline?" -- Meredith
Good question! It's not actually as difficult for me to keep track of things as you might think, however. I've had most of these stories and characters in my head for years, so the connections and intricacies come naturally to me. I do outline every novel before I write it . . . though I consider an outline a flexible guideline, not set in stone! And I keep files of historical notes and timelines. There isn't any great system, I confess, but I keep up with it all right.
2. "How many books have you planned for the series? Sounds as if you have many more plot threads to come. This series resembles a tapestry, and I like how each story seems to somehow point to all the others. Amazing! Keep up the outstanding work." -- Meredith
Thank you, Meredith! :) That was my hope from the beginning. I wanted to write a series of mostly stand-alone novels that all pointed back to each other to create a bigger, overall picture. Because that's more how life is! All or our own personal stories connect to the personal stories of those around us, back through history, on through the future.
As for how many I have planned . . . lots. But I am currently contracted through six. I hope to write more, but we'll have to wait and see what doors God opens. I know He has a plan for this series. He's created amazing opportunities for me all along. But it's a step-by-step process of faith. I think that's part of God's way of reminding me that He is in control of this series, not me. I'm only the writer!
9 comments:
Oooh! Una I think is growing a little....she still has bad feelings towards Aethelbald... :)
I think Aethelbald was right to interfere. Gervais was obviously not going to be good for Una, and Aethelbald wanted to protect Una from being used. If Aethelbald had just let the matter slide, he wouldn't have been looking out for Una's best interests, and therefore couldn't have loved her completely.
1. Una tries really hard to convince herself about Gervais, but she still has doubts. She isn't just allowing herself to be completely fooled. She does consider Aethelbald and what he would think, so she isn't as consumed with her romantic drivel as she thinks. She knows whats right, but she doesn't want to admit it, doesn't want to give up on her "romantic dream" yet. But at the end of the chapter we see Una's world shift, setting herself up for what's to come as she contemplates that maybe she wasn't worth loving more than Gervais loved himself.
2. I think Aethelbald did what was right, especially considering who he was.
3. We see Aethelbald as someone with integrity who won't be "baited" or swayed by what others think. More likable through Felix's eyes.
4. Lines:
"Nothing in this world seemed half as important as permanently removing that grin from Gervais's face."
"The moon seemed a little less romantic than before."
One thing about the lines. There are some great lines here, but what makes them greater is how they all fit together, the story they paint, the meaning of them to the characters, to the reader.
2) I think that Aethelbald was right in stepping in. But I don't think it was completely about Una. Aethelbald cared about Gervais as well and wanted him to better his life.
1. I think she is getting a little wiser, learning that looks and charm aren't everything.
2. Yes, I think he was wise to do so. Prince Geravis just didn't take it well.
3. I don't know if it adds or takes away from my liking of him, but I do enjoy a deeper look into his character.
Oh, I would die if you only wrote six. There is too much hinted at, I think, to leave it like that. But, *sigh*, God's Will is God's Will.
And I love Felix having such a dirty mouth. It's funny, to say the least.
1) I think this chapter reveals how lonely Una is; she just wants somebody to love her, to fight for her. When she wondered if she wasn't worth loving more than himself, my heart broke for her.
Now, I have a question: Personally, I love Una. Yes, she's stubborn and naive, but, maybe it's because I'm a writer and hopeless romantic, I find so much in common with her. I love her fumble-mouth, because I do that a lot, too. How do you write a character that isn't necessarily likeable to everyone, in such a likeable way? (Because I really love Una, especially with her banter with Felix!)
2)I think he did do the right thing. Even if Gervais had had the right intentions, to not bring something as important up as gambling debts to a prospective father-in-law--or wife--is a big no-no!
3)We learn that Aethelbald is much more than the stodge Una thinks he is--he is very... mysterious...
4) "Monster, you beast!"
I adore cats--especially ones full of personality. Can totally emphasize with Una here. I have two cats at home, and they're always chewing on something!
2. I think it was honorable want he did, despite Una's dismay, it saved her from that kind of drama.
AC
#1 - At the end of the chapter, Una thinks, 'Maybe I wasn't worth loving more than himself?' I think that she slowly lets her heart get broken throughout the book and Gervais was simply one of the first steps. Her character is changing, but perhaps not growth quite yet. She acts a bit older than she did toward the beginning of the book though. :)
#2 - Aethelbald did the right thing. Prince Gervais shouldn't have been trying to court Una if he was in such deep debts. He needed a gentle reminder, I think, that he needed to mend his ways. Not that he did mend them, however, he realized that he and his gambling habits were not welcome.
#3 - We find Aethelbald more likable in Felix's eyes, most definitely! He seems like a big brother to Felix, taking the time to teach him things that everyone else around him forgot to. Aethelbald takes everything in stride, even when those guards were gossiping. He pretended he was asleep and didn't make a big deal of it to Felix. ...He's so cool! ;P
#4 - "When I defeated the swaggering prince of Beauclair," he whispered, smiling fiendishly, "I used this little maneuver...." (p. 93)
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